The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre 1954 6500 - work in progress (Idaho)

Hello bolters,

I have been visiting this site for years as a guest and it was about time to join. Mostly to find info about my 1954 6500 work in progress. Currently working on wiring the thing, but that project has branched out big time, and in an effort to have that new wiring job actually go somewhere, im currently in the process of TRYING to recast my own fender pedestal light lenses. It’s not as easy as they make it seem on YouTube and kinda pricy. Maybe some of you have AMI 500 lights on your trucks too, which is the model of lens I’m trying to make. Also have a few other Chevy 1 tons, not bolts but cool trucks too. Looking forward to digging in to this great source of information.

Hy 546500, welcome, got any pictures of your collection??? We like pictures!

I'm surprised you haven't been able to find used lenses or even modern replacements. It seems like lots of vehicles used those fender lights for decades - school buses, dump trucks, etc.

This forum is a better car club than most "real" car clubs in my opinion. I've been around here for about 4 years and have gotten more useful help and advice than I've gotten from the Cadillac and LaSalle Club in 18 years.

Welcome.

Looking forward to seeing some pictures of the truck.

Trying to upload some pics but the files are too big. Dang it.

In looking for replacement lenses I have found that most available ones are not the 4.5in diameter of the AMI 500 and with 3 screw mount holes to the AMI’s 4. If I would have known these fender pedestal lights were going to give me so much trouble, between the attempts at recasting lenses, modifying the base for a two filament socket, and BREAKING the hollow mounting tube on one of them, I might have just bought new ones instead, but I’m so deep into this project that I must defeat it, must complete it. Currently on set number 3 of silicone molds, just dried, so I may just create good lenses yet. Waiting on a gasket for my pressure pot (required to cast bubble free resin) to complete the task.

Also very interested in disc brake conversions and potentially a rear end change to get the 54 up to modern speeds.

Welcome to Stovebolt 546500! Before you get to asking too many technical questions here in the Welcome Centre, give this helpful Welcome - and now where do you go?? post a read. It will help you understand more about navigating the forums and where to best ask tech questions so we can offer the best help and suggestions.

On your too large picture file size, you should be able to resize the pictures you have fairly easily. Process just depends on what you are using to take them (phone/tablet/digital camera) and what operating system/programs you have (Windows/Mac/???). If you can't figure it out, feel free to ask for some help in the IT Short Bus forum.

Looking forward to seeing and hearing more on your truck!

Welcome!

If your other trucks are Chevys, then they ARE Bolts--just not Big Bolts.

First, welcome to the ‘bolt! Sounds like a great start for your project.

As Dan already pointed out, there are lots of free apps to reduce the size of pictures. And in case you have issues posting them: Here’s a link to instructions on how to add pictures to a post.

Again, Welcome to the bolt!

Welcome to the bolt. As noted, we do love pictures.

I used to email pix to myself and select a size that the web site accepted.

Picked up the truck at the end of 2024. Before that I believe it was sitting since 1997. Previous owner had started doing a few things to. The wiring is butchered, combining original Chevy with some Dodge stuff thrown in. Yeah this beast has a dodge engine in it. That complicates things with the starter being on the wrong side of the truck and the battery box being where it is. As I consider upgrading the brakes and master cylinder I have to work around this… ya see I’ve concluded the best place for the battery box is on the drivers side under the seat, and on the other side of the frame… my brakes… so some thinking is required. The battery box is probably where I should really be focusing now, but I’m on other aspects of the wiring right now, components of it, like my troublesome pedestal lights. Also will be making the parking lights into turn signals, adding a hazard switch, later column mounted 55-57 turn signal switch, trying to create a nice fixture for signal flasher unit, making a cool red hazard button out of some found parts…

Does the engine run? I'm assuming it's a 318 since the starter is over on the driver side. Do you plan to install a correct engine?

It is a 318 poly with an NP435 and a carter bbd. It does run. Previous owner had massive jets in the carter carb. I had been wondering why it ran so rich and went through many many things before I was able to figure it out by comparing the jets in that carburetor to another earlier carter bbd I had around. The jets must have come out of a big AFB carb or something because they are about five times as big as the tiny ones in my other carter.

I think the carb was just dumping fuel into the engine and may have caused via cylinder washing, the low compression in the engine’s number 1 and 2 cylinders. I kind of like the oddity of the poly engine in the truck though. After my initial confusion and dislike of the choice, I have grown to like the engine. No plan right now to put a Chevy engine in it but were I to do so, or done so right away, I would have been saved a lot of time, then and in the future as I try to work around the starter being on the wrong side. I do imagine in the far off future a Diesel engine in the thing but that would be very far down the road.
Right now it’s wiring, attempt to make it sound electrically, then on to brakes, potentially a new rear end, new windows and weatherstrip, and a painted interior cab. It’s all going to be a slow process though.

Welcome,

Sounds like an interesting project. What is a 318 poly? I understand that it’s a 318 Mopar V8, but the term poly I’ve never heard before.

John

It's a semi-hemi head design. Polyspherical combustion chamber with valves at angles off vertical.

Chrysler corp V8 product in the 60s into the 90s.

The 328 poly design was only built between 1956 and 1967. After that the 318 had wedge style heads.

Just to echo Bolter "Rich'sToys" note above, but those other Chevy's are probably Stovebolt material too. I just noticed the mid 60's dark green stake bed in the background of your pictures of the '54. It definitely fits into our community!

Perhaps you can figure out how to add a signature line to your profile and list all your Chevy's (and any GMC's) in your stable. Would be cool to see pics of those trucks too.

It’d be interesting to see what modifications were implemented to steering, mounts, crossmembers etc to make that Mopar V8 work in an AD truck. In other words, is it the same as a GM small block or way different (easier or harder)? John

I'd be curious about that also.

To fit the dodge engine the previous owner had to move the steering column over towards the drivers side. The firewall had to be cut to move the column over. The steering box is now mounted on the outboard side of the frame. Looks solid with a strong bracket. I’m not sure if the steering arm is modified to accommodate this. The wheel well had to be cut to accommodate this move. There’s still a big cutout there that doesn’t look tidy. The shifter fits through the floor perfectly, no mods or moves in the cover plate required there. This engine choice makes for a very difficult spark plug change. Some of them require gymnastics to change, kind of annoying. Another problem is the throttle linkage. The original linkage wouldn’t clear the dodge engine. A new hole was cut in the firewall for the current linkage. It is not well done and not solid and something I will need to repair. The motor mounts were probably taken from the donor dodge, they do not look homemade. They are attached to the frame rail. No interference with the engine crossmember. The transmission mount looks modified, might just be a big piece of hard rubber. The truck does have a Chevy radiator which means the bottom port is not in the right place and requires an adapter. This could cause an issue if I mount a power steering pump in the usual spot. Overall, it’s a combo that complicates a lot of things in its current form but it is such a cool truck I don’t care.

My '47 has a 307 Chevy V8 in it. They also had to move the steering box slightly to the left. When making a hard left turn the tire will rub against it. Does yours do that?

I haven’t driven it hard enough to know if it rubs but I notice some fender edge lip dents that look like they could be from a rubbing tire.

546500 ... you've got a great start for a special spot in Big Bolts. It's one the busiest forums on the site (some of the Shops are up there!) It's like the DITY Gallery except is exclusive to you Big Bolt guys, with your different issues.

Think about it and let us know. We can take care of the move to Big Bolts.

Welcome!